Method of producing rosin oils



Patented Apr. '5, 1932 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE EVEN W. HUHPHBEY, OF WHARTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB HERCULES Pbw- .1333 COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWATIB'E, A CORPORATIONOI" DELAWABE Rosinoils mnon or rnonnome; nosm' rLs fife Drawing.

and by which neutral rosin oil maybe pro-3 duced directly.

, aving high acid numbers have heretofore been produced .by decomposing rosin at high temperatures and it has been known to produce a neutral rosin oil, by the treatment of rosin with heat and a substance as, for example, hydriodic acid or iron turn- Neutral rosin oils, and'rosin oils of low acid number, are obtained-by redistillation of rosin oils of higher acid number, se a- I "rating the cuts which are substantially ee from rosin acids- The rosin oil'is sometimes distilled overalkali in order to free it entirely commercial neutral rosin oil, roduced y: the decomposition of rosin heat,,has an acid number of 3 a specific of about 0.978 and a' boiling range as wit gravit such t at 10% distills over at 331 (3., 50%

at 346C. and 90% at 370 0. Neutral rosin oilis free from rosin acids, composed entirely of hydrocarbons, has a boiling range of approximately 300 ('.l.375':" 0., a specific gravity within the range 096-098, say about 0.97, and when thorough? refined has practically no acid number. utral rosin oil has a considerable optical rotation, a specific rotation of +5.5 having been observed by me.

Now it is the object of my invention broadly lto provide a method for the production of rosm oils, both acid and neutral, which involves the treatment of, rosin with small proportions of fullers earth. More specifically, the method embodying my invention involves the treatment of rosin with fullers earth and heat with -the"distillation ofi of ection of rosin to a preliminary treatment neutral, rosin oil.

prooess embodylng my invention permit the production of an acid rosin oil-at sion of rosin into rosin o a lower temperature and in a shorter heating period than the present practice, since fullers earthis an'excellent catal st for the converil. If it:is desired rosin oil and still more specifically the sub-.

Application he ma 19, 1927. sex-mm. 192,801., v

to obtain a neutral oil, it is only necessary to heat for a longer period, or to employ a somewhat higher tem erature, or to use a larger 1 proportion of fn ers earth. -Byproper control of the foregoing factors,.rosi.n oils may Y be obtained having acid numbers ranging from 7 5 to zero. Thus in one o eration sub stantially all of the abietic aci in the rosin may be converted either into a oil, or into an oil having thenumber; r

In accordance with my invention, I produce pheric pressure, 'to a temperature within the range 150 C.-325.C., preferably a temperature of about 300 C. The onversion into rosin oil occurs at tempera res as low as neutral rosin desiredac d w- I I' 150 (3.. The treatmentwitht efullersearth willncause conversion into rosin oil. ..The

rosiiFoil recovered may be acid, but will con- I, vtain someneutral oil as indicated by the fact that the acid number ofthe rosin oil will be 75 found, to belower than that of the original rosin. The treatment of the rosin with fullers earth will result in the conversion of the rosin into rosin oil at asubstantially lower a temperature than. when the. conversion is so sought to be effected by heat alone.

If. be desired to recover the neutral oil {from the rosin oil, such may-"be accomplished by fractionation or by neutralizing the acld present and distilling.

In accordance with my invention,

where it is desired to produce neutral, rosin oil from -rosin directly, the rosin in admixture fullers earth is subjected to aprehmmary with treatment ata' temperature within the range of about 150 C.325 C., preferably about i g with fullers earth and heat with subsequent 300 C. and subsequently o I distilled ofi. During the prehmrnargi ment there should be no substantial the. neutral oilis treat- 'still'arosin. should be allowed, to distill 01f. The

preliminary treatment should be continued for a depen pleriod of say from about 2-20 hours, ng upon the amount of fullers earth is heated. As an example of'thecarrying out of the method embodying my invention 500 g. of wood rosin having an acid number of 155, to which is added 15 g. of fullers earth' is heated, at a temperature of say 300 C.-325 C. for a preliminary period of about 4: hours under atmos heric pressure. The preliminary heating 0 fullers earth is carried on without substantial distillation of the rosin. However, during the preliminary heating about 30 g. of

oil, consisting chiefly of light rosin spirit, is

distilled off. 1

In the preliminary heating of the rosln and fullers earth, the main reaction may be p which includes subjecting rosin to treatment expressed, for example, as follows- The preliminary heating results in the production of a crude product, which is then subjected to distillation. Distillation of the crude product may be effected by con tinuing the heating with reduction of the pressure; for example, the pressure may be reduced to about 1" of Hg. and about 265 g.

residue, after distillation, will comprise about 150 g. of pitch. The latter may be partially broken down into rosin oil by heating to approximately 400 While for many purposes it is desirable to fractionate the crude product,.for some purposes it may be preferable to utilize the crude product without separation into rosin oil and pitch, merely filtering or decanting the crude product from the fullers earth. The crude product is a very viscous oil, having a density of 0.99-1.01.

In the carrying out of the process for the direct production of'neutral oil embodying my invention, if it be found after'the preliminary heat treatment of the rosin with fullers earth that the crude product contains too large an amount of rosin acids,

separation may be effected, by distilling oif the neutral oil through a short fractionating column, thus causing the higher boiling acids, if any are present, to remain in the still; the rosin acids may be subsequently distilled off as a higher boiling out. It is usually preferable, however, to' continue heating with the fullers earth for a short time in order to decrease the acidity to the desired value.

In case it is desired to produce an acid oil, the heating period previous to distillation, is greatly shortene e. g. heating to around 250 C. for one-half hour, followed by 'distillation under reduced pressure, gave an oil the rosin and having an acid number of approximately 50. In carrying out the process embodying my invention, some varieties of argillaceous' earths other than fullers earth may be em- 1 ployed and other surface catalysts such as certain grades of activated carbon and some with heat in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth, at a temperature at which ros n will be decomposed until substantial decomposition of rosin'has been effected, I

while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin.

- 2. The method of producing neutral rosin oil, which includes subjecting rosin to treatment with heat in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth, at a temperature at which rosin will be decomposed, until substantial decomposition of rosin has been effected, while avoiding'substantial distillation of the rosin, and subsequently distilling ofi' neutral ros n oil from the treated rosin.

3. The method, of producing rosin oil,

which includes subjecting rosin to treatment with heat at a temperature within the range 150-325 G. in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth until substantial decomposition of rosin has been efi'ected,

while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin, and subsequently distilling oif rosin oil from the treated'rosin.

4. The method of producing rosin oil, which includes subjecting rosin to treatment with .heat at a temperatureof about 300 C.

in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth until substantial decomposition of rosin has been effected, while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin, and subsequently distilling ofi rosin oil from the treated rosin. Y

5. The method of producing neutral rosin oil, which includes subjecting rosin to treatment with heat at a temperature within the range 150-325 G., under pressure not less than atmospheric in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth until substantial decomposition of rosin has been effected, while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin, and then reducing the pressure and distilling ofl:' neutra1 rosin oil from the treated rosin.

6. The method of producing rosin oil,

which includes subjecting rosin to treatment,

with heat the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth, but substantially less in amount than the weight of rosin treated, at a temperature at which rosin will be decomposed until substantial decomposition of rosin has been eflected, while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin. 7. The method of producing rosin oil, i which includes subjecting rosin to treatment with heat in the presence of about 2% of fullers' earth at a temperature at which rosin o willbe decomposed until substantial decomposition of rosin has been efiected', while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin.

8. The method of producing rosin oil, which includes subjecting rosin to treatment 15 with heat in the presence of an appreciable amount of fullers earth, but substantially less in amount than the weight of rosin treated, at a temperature at which rosin will be decomposed until substantial decomposition of g0 rosin has been efl'ected, while avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin, and subsequently distilling oif rosin oil from the treated rosin. v

9. The method of producing rosin oil, 25 which includes subjecting rosin to treatmentv with heat in the presence of about 2% of fullers earth at a temperature at which rosin will be decomposed until substantial decomposition of rosin has been effected, while to avoiding substantial distillation of the rosin,

and subse uently distilling ofi rosin oil from h the treat rosin.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand at Kenvil, N. J on this 35 17th day of May, 1927.

' IRVIN W. HUMPHREY. 

